Symposium Agent Overview Symposium Agent is a software framework that allows call centre managers to rapidly implement telephony integration with virtually any Windows or Web based application. Operating in a centrally managed environment, call centre managers can use Symposium Agent to deliver tools such as screen pops, screen based dialling, screen based agent call guides and more, to the call centre. Symposium Agent is a key component of Nortel Networks strategy for helping users transition their existing call centres into sophisticated Customer Contact Centres. This Windows based software application can significantly boost agent productivity, deliver better customer service and increase revenue. Customer Profile Price and performance conscience customers looking for a comprehensive set of CTI based agent productivity tools that require a minimum amount configuration to customise Suits any call centre or help desk operation requiring a desktop agent productivity solution that is thin client based and centrally managed Defining Needs Are you looking for computer telephony integration (CTI) and agent tools that are easy to configure and manage? Do you need to automate routine tasks and empower agents with critical customer information? When your agents answer calls, do you want to your organisation to appear intelligent to your customers? Are you planning to implement screen pop functionality in your call centre? Do you want basic outbound call functionality, being able to dial numbers from the desktop from customer lists, corporate directories, etc? During a call would you like text comments made by agents to follow the call if it was transferred to another agent? Do you want to build powerful workflow solutions to automate and assist agents as they step through complex transactions? Typical Applications Symposium Agent is a client server based application framework that can be used to automate business applications using data provided by the carrier network (DNIS or CLID) or information provided by the caller via touch-tone or speech recognition. Solutions may be implemented as thin client browser based (turning any Web page into a service resource), traditional client server, or legacy host. Because it is a standards-based CT solution, the price performance and ease of implementation of Symposium Agent is unmatched within the industry. Key Points Enables the automation of up to 14 applications via browser based "tabbed" user interface All applications have access to call data with each call Desktop Client component built on Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.0 Takes full advantage of Microsoft's Telephony Applications Programming Interface (TAPI 3.0) message set for standards based distributed call control Integrated two line agent soft phone support offering both administrative and call handling capability Web based agent administration Supports the definition of call automation rules for both inbound and outbound calls, including support for screen pops of web browser tabs Symposium Agent 157
Supports application integration via OLE, DDE or Keystroke Emulation Windows 2000 and NT backwards compatible for both the desktop client and server components Features and Benefits Symposium Agent maximises the efficiency of the agent through desktop consolidation and soft phone integration, putting information at the agents fingertips allowing them to focus on addressing customers needs rather than collecting customer information. Agents can even make and receive phone calls by a simple point and click of the mouse with Symposium Agents desktop telephony capability. Symposium Agent is a key component of Nortel Networks strategy for helping users transition their existing call centres into sophisticated Customer Contact Centres. When used with Web response applications it allows agents to easily call back web form or email senders. Symposium Agent 2.0 uses standards-based technology, the latest Internet technology, clientserver architecture and Microsoft Telephony API (TAPI) which are bundled with Windows NT/2000, to deliver the following powerful features: AgentExplorer a framework for all the following features, it unifies the agent desktop access to all Symposium Agent functions in a browser-based Graphical User Interface that is familiar and easyto-use Dial Wizards a basic outbound call application that can launch a dial wizard from a redial list, a clipboard or a quick menu from which you are able to access personal and LDAP-compliant corporate directories AgentMessaging agents can enter text based messages or comments after the call has been answered that can follow a transferred call locally or across the network AgentMobility agents can log on from any desk within the call centre. When the agent logs on, the Symposium Agent application validates the user, performs software version synchronisation and downloads user preferences and call handling rules to the agent's client PC AgentCompass - integration module used for building powerful workflow solutions using standard Web-authoring tools such as Microsoft FrontPage, Active Server Pages, PERL, CGI and ISAPI. HTML/Web-based interfaces can be used to automate information access and assist agents through complex transactions. AgentTelephony - control telephony functions from the PC (login, logout, not ready, dial, conference, transfer, hold, answer and release). Point and click access from AgentTab AgentTabs - customise and automate links to up to 14 Web-enabled applications simultaneously, save and share valuable desktop space AgentLog - call events, agent activities and individual notes that an agent may make about a call are logged and stored on the server by Symposium Agent (AgentLog). This information is maintained in a standards compliant database allowing it to be merged with external data sources such as Symposium Call Centre Server to create custom reports Ordering Information For further information, please contact your local Nortel Networks Representative. 158 Symposium Agent
Symposium Agent Greeting Overview Nortel Networks Symposium Agent Greeting offers contact centres a simple, cost effective and easy-to-use solution that enables contact centre agents to pre-record standard or multiple greetings that can be played to each customer before the agent handles the live call. This way, agents in high-volume contact centres are relieved of the monotony of repeating the same greeting over and over throughout the course of their shift. Likewise, contact centre agents who answer calls with multiple and unique greetings based on the customers are afforded that extra few seconds to transition from one call to the next, ensuring the agent is prepared to give each caller their undivided attention and superior service. Customer Profile Agent Greeting is ideal for medium to large contact centres with medium to high inbound call volumes Service bureau environments Contact centres with skill base routing Multilingual contact centres where regional, or cultural distinctions are business requirements Agent Greeting is an excellent solution for Nortel Networks large base of Meridian 1 contact centres - this includes Symposium Call Centre Server, Symposium Express Call Centre, Meridian 1 ACD and Meridian MAX. It is compatible with any version of SCCS, SECC and Meridian MAX. It is also compatible with Succession CSE 1000 release 2.0. Defining Needs Do you want your call centre agents freed from repeating a standard greeting for each call? Do you have agents answering calls for multiple skill sets or languages that need to be greeted differently? Are you operating an outsourced service bureau environment where agents are handling calls from multiple accounts? Are your agents working in a high volume (300+ calls per day) environment? Do your agents get tired of repeating the standard greeting, resulting in their greeting becoming flat and unwelcoming by the end of the day? Are you looking for innovative ways to increase agent satisfaction and retention, saving on training and recruitment costs? Are you aiming for higher levels of customer retention and customer loyalty? Typical Applications High volume call centres with short call times such as taxi bookings and paging companies Simple or sophisticated, any call centre where agents are handling approximately 300 calls per day can instantly see benefit in using this robust and scalable solution Call centres with a large skill set, language or service offering a mix that requires differentiated greetings based on call type Service bureaus or outsourced call centres where agents are handling a variety of clients calls Any call centre where flat, monotonous greetings appear after a long day and busy day, impacting agent moral and customer relationships. (Agent satisfaction is an ongoing challenge for today's dynamic contact centres as agents are being increasingly challenged both by call volume as well as diverse callers who have unique and often varied needs.) Symposium Agent Greeting is useful in any call centre where retaining the best and brightest talent is critical. Key Points Increases agent satisfaction - Agent Greeting makes agents' jobs easier, giving them extra time to transition between calls and eliminating the repetitive or mundane task of repeating standard greetings throughout the course of their shift Improves agent retention and reduces costs - satisfied agents with high morale are more likely to stay in their jobs longer, thereby improving agent retention and reducing costs associated with training and recruiting Symposium Agent Greeting 159
Reduces the physical demands on agents voices - standard and consistent greetings are heard by the customer regardless of agent mood or time of day, this enhanced greeting quality results in improved customer service Enhanced greeting quality - agent effectiveness and customer service is improved, this improved call quality will in turn lead to customer loyalty Improves customer service - giving agents a few extra seconds to transition from one call to the next enables them to be better prepared to give each customer their undivided attention Enhances customer loyalty - higher agent satisfaction and improved agent retention have a positive impact on customer satisfaction levels and ultimately customer loyalty as customers establish and grow relationships with a company Reduces noise levels - agents are actually speaking less, thus reducing the call centre noise level and minimising the distraction of background noise for both customers and agents Offers ease of use - Agent Greeting is easy to use for both agents and supervisors and because it's easy to use, they'll use it! In real-time, highvolume call centres ease of use is a primary requirement The value proposition offered by this feature are an additional revenue opportunity, increased greeting quality, increased agent effectiveness and improved customer loyalty Robust and scalable solution to meet the high inbound (approx 300 calls per day) and sophisticated contact centre requirements Features and Benefits Enables agents to easily pre-record standard greetings Supports agent and skill set specific greetings for SCCS/SECC environments Supports agent-specific greetings for M1 ACD and Meridian MAX environments Provides Visual Key flash and Conferenced Greeting Offers Web-based interface for Agent Greeting card OA&M Supports remote loadware/dsp firmware upgrade over IP network Provides telephony-class high reliability Supports 24 greeting ports per card-up to 72 ports total Supports up to 1200 configured agents in a multicard environment Integrated VPS-Agent Greeting system solution Emulates XDLC (M2616 Aries set) Remote Loadware/DSP firmware upgrade over IP network Tight integration with the Meridian 1 / Succession CSE 1000 speeds information flow by minimising delays in processing calls and taking messages Telephony-class, high reliability design reduces possible system outages Security features reduce the chance of fraud and theft of intellectual property Ordering Information For further information, please contact your local Nortel Networks Representative. 160 Symposium Agent Greeting
Symposium Call Centre Server Overview Symposium Call Centre Server (SCCS) offers a complete and powerful communication solution for dynamic contact centres, providing skill-based routing, comprehensive management and reporting and real-time displays for agents, supervisors and managers. Symposium Call Centre Server supports Meridian 1, CSE1K, DMS Centrex, or SL-100 environments. Symposium Call Centre Server also enables you to leverage your contact centre investment by using VoIP. Regardless of your business environment - single site or geographically dispersed - you can use Nortel Networks IP contact centre solutions to simplify management and administration and to extend contact centre capabilities to agents anywhere - in branch offices or working at home. Customer Profile Small to large dynamic contact centre environments that require a great deal of sophistication, agility and differentiation in the care offered to customers All verticals (eg Financial, Hospitality, Government, etc) that need to provide 24/7 service to their customers or clients Call centres requiring true skill-based routing Standalone, networked or virtual state of the art call centres, including networked skill-based routing Outsourced call centres (service bureau) Call centres utilising branch office or remote (at home) agents Multimedia customer contact centres (voice, fax, email, web) using blended environments IP contact centres Defining Needs Do you want customer service to be a key differentiator for your business? Do you need a focal point for customer service/relationship in your business? Are looking for a powerful and flexible business solution for your customer care needs? Do you want to customise your call centre to build strong customer relationships? Do you want to multimedia-enable your call centre and do you have plans to use VoIP in your call centre infrastructure? Do your agents have specialised skills that you wish to use to best effect by matching them to callers with specialised needs? Do you wish to provide differentiated service to your customers such as VIP service to individuals? Do you need to keep the pulse of the call centre with true real time displays and make instant changes to manage changing call centre conditions (fine tune)? Do you want all your call centre data to be openly available to anyone who needs it? Do you need to extend full call centre capabilities to resources located away from the main centre such as in a branch office or at home? Do you have agents in multiple locations that should share calls equally between the sites (networking)? Do you need to route customers to available agents with skills anywhere in your network? Do you want to implement industry standard, open, client-server architecture? Do you want an open third party interface strategy and open databases for historical reports? Do you need to integrate your call centre into your business using open connectivity? Do you want to track each call from start to finish to get the data to fine tune your call centre? Are you suffering from increased customer expectations? Do you want to build the right solution for your business, today and tomorrow? Do you want to exceed your customer s expectations by providing outstanding service? Symposium Call Centre Server 161
Typical Applications Symposium Call Centre Server is the right solution for contact centres requiring call routing and treatments based on assessing numerous traffic, skill set and real-time factors such as current call volumes, logged agent count, age of call, average speed of answer, time of day, day of week and/or holidays Symposium Call Centre Server is the solution for call centres requiring call routing decisions based on individual customer information stored in a host computer Ideal for organisations requiring advanced real-time and historical reporting, including detailed call-by-call reporting Symposium Call Centre Server benefits any organisation striving to build a winning customer contact strategy. It is a solid foundation for evolving multimedia contact centre requirements, enabling organisations to be flexible in meeting their customer s ever changing service needs, creating customer loyalty while retaining agent talent, reducing overall costs to improve profit Key Points Powerful, Skill-Based Routing - skill-based routing means that you can intelligently route callers based on their needs and to the agent that is best suited to fulfil customers' needs. Priority routing for preferred customers ensures that your valued customers are given VIP treatment Seamless Networking Environment - networking provides an efficient, streamlined solution for centrally managing multiple call centres in a Meridian 1 / Succession CSE1000 environment Adaptable Call Handling - rich, flexible scripting language allows the business to customise call routing decisions and treatment based on its business processes Graphical, Real-Time Displays - real-time displays provide a snapshot of the call centre for management to view customised performance statistics for increased responsiveness to changing conditions Complete, Customisable Reports and Call Tracking - with 70 standard reports and the ability to customise historical reports, Symposium Call Centre Server offers a comprehensive management tool to explore valuable data for making business decisions Industry-Standard Platform - based on clientserver based architecture, Symposium Call Centre Server is designed on an industry-standard platform to enable real-time data, host data exchange and other advanced call handling features Optimised for Internet, Multimedia and CTI applications - Symposium Call Centre Server can be integrated with multimedia transaction handling, CTI and other advanced web-enabled functionality Features and Benefits Quickly routes calls to the agents best equipped to answer them, increasing customer loyalty Builds profitable customer relationships by personalising service with superior flexibility Improves agents' effectiveness and productivity - helping to increase employee satisfaction and retention Provides managers with the decision-making tools they need, from up-to-the-second, real-time displays to comprehensive reporting capabilities showing contact centre activity, traffic fluctuations, agent performance and work characteristics Speeds up answering, lengthens hours of service and connects agents and customers across wide geographical areas by extending your contact centre using advanced networking and Voice over IP (VoIP) Grows and adapts to your company's evolving needs, employing open architecture, flexible design and built-in scalability to protect your investment The rich scripting language supports multifaceted call routing and treatment decisions based on combinations of real time conditions. 162 Symposium Call Centre Server
With Symposium Call Centre Server the call queuing and treatments provided are based on the instructions defined in each script supporting tremendous customisation in sync with the contact centre s dynamic requirements Virtual or networked call centres with centralised administration, management and reporting can also be built offering increased business productivity Multimedia integration through open interfaces, integrates completely with the Symposium Application suite of products Relevant Management Reports allow easily customisable reports using industry standard report writers Real Time Call Centre data permits rapid response to changing Call Centre conditions Easy-to-learn and easy-to-operate, using familiar Windows and Explorer based displays for agents, supervisors and managers The scalability of Symposium permits cost effective entry level with expansion potential to meet the changing needs of any enterprise Symposium Web Client - Customers with Symposium Call Centre Server Release 4.0 onwards can now take advantage of an Internet browser-based thin client application that introduces superior management tools and simplifies the administration and configuration of clients on the Symposium Call Centre Server Up to 1,500 concurrent active agents (3,000 configured) 1 to 48 agent call answering priority levels Calls can be queued to up to 20 skill sets simultaneously Up to 350 skill sets (300 local, 50 network), individual agents can be assigned to 50 skill sets simultaneously Approximately 35,000 calls per hour Up to 30 networked SCCS sites in a Meridian 1 or CSE1K environment Server Operating System - Windows 2000 Client Operating System Windows 95, 98, 2000 and NT 4.0 Workstation Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) compliancy 7 x 24 x 365 reliability Ordering Information For further information, please contact your local Nortel Networks Representative. Symposium Call Centre Server 163
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Symposium Express Call Centre Overview Symposium Express Call Centre (SECC) delivers sophisticated, skill-based call routing and management reporting to customer care centres with up to 150 active agents. Leveraging the rich functionality of the higher-capacity Symposium Call Centre Server, Symposium Express Call Centre provides an entry-level, departmental-level or small to medium enterprise customer care centre application. Customers can benefit from sophisticated functionality usually only provided by more complex systems. Customer Profile Small to Medium Enterprises - formal call centres Large Enterprises - department contact centres such as helpdesks, sales desks, customer service centres; corporate branch offices Emerging Call Centre markets - any business or organisation where five or more people make frequent use of the phone for incoming calls; business or organisations that may currently use hunt groups and call pickup and require more control Customers that currently do not have a contact centre but require a simplistic call centre system Defining Needs Do you have several people answering calls in a reservations office, order desk, technical helpdesk or the like? Do you require an environment designed to process calls with efficiency to maximise customer satisfaction? Do you require instant updates on call status and the ability to measure, report and improve your customer call handling using off-the-shelf reporting tools? Do you need sophisticated technology such as skill-based routing and hot-desking to support a call centre function? Are you looking for a solution to support new ways of doing business, such as utilising CTI applications and screen pops? Do you require sophisticated call centre functionality that is quick and easy to use, with a low cost of ownership? Typical Applications Small to medium call centres or internal helpdesks can benefit from the relatively simpleto-manage call flow configuration and sophisticated features such as skill-based routing Environments that require flexibility in caller treatment and reporting balanced with ease of management, such as: - Customer care lines - Sales lines - Technical assistance - Employee helpdesks Key Points Symposium Express grows as business requirements grow A flexible and easy upgrade path provides a smooth stepping stone to Symposium Call Centre Server retaining investment dollars spent in software, training and management Handles up to 150 active agents (300 profiles can be created) Wizard driven interfaces to management functions Easy to use, minimal training Low cost of ownership Provides excellent customer service like a large call centre Increased productivity through efficient utilisation of staff resources Skill-based routing supporting up to 50 skill sets Rich and comprehensive historical management reports Graphical or text based real time information Symposium Express Call Centre 165
Supervisor view of call centre and agent activity with real-time display of information Open interfaces to data access, easy integration Integration with third-party applications Software-only solution running on specified industry-standard PC platforms Features and Benefits SECC utilises a predefined decision tree and customer-defined parameters/call treatment to determine incoming call queuing and treatments. Queuing and treatments are based on call type and current contact centre conditions. Contact centre conditions include Open or Closed, emergency status (active or non-active), the number of calls active and queued in the system, the number of calls waiting of a particular type and/or the amount of time a call has waited in queue. During open hours, depending on configuration, queued calls are presented immediately with a Greeting Announcement and with up to two separate delay announcements (independent timers) while waiting. The first announcement can be configured to inform callers of expected wait time or position in queue. Additionally, based on conditions and configuration, calls can be queued to alternate skill sets or sent to an alternate directory number to facilitate answering. During designated closed periods calls can be queued to an alternate skill set, routed to an alternate number for handling or messaging, or receive a closed announcement. Nortel Networks Symposium Express Call Centre and Symposium Call Centre Server both offer skill-based routing to agents, call treatment options, real time displays and comprehensive management and reporting functionality empowering today s contact centres with the tools and agility to deliver unique and unprecedented care to their customers. Determining the best solution for your customer requires an assessment not only of size and capacity requirements but an understanding of your customer s immediate and future requirements for capacity, flexibility and customisation in planning their incoming call routing and treatment. The following table summarises the features of Symposium Express Call Centre (SECC) and Symposium Call Centre Server (SCCS) to help you understand the capabilities of each. SECC 3.0 SCCS 4.2 Target Contact Centre Emerging/Small, Departmental Seasoned/Small to Large Requirements Basic, Ease of Management Customisable, Dynamic Capacity Calls per Hour 5,000 35,000 Active Agents (A)-Configured Agents (C) (A) 10 to 150 (C) 300 (A) 20 to 1,500 - (C) 3,000 Total Skill sets/ Per Agent /Agent Priority 100 / 50 / 1 to 4 350 / 50 / 1 to 48 Administration Management Interface Wizard-driven, point & click Uses Scripting Language Script Customisation No - defined template Yes Scheduled Changes No Yes Standby Mode for Skill sets No Yes Supervisors/Administrators 4/4 100/100 Queuing & Treatments Multiple Call Treatments Yes Yes Skill-Based Routing Yes Yes Routing by Caller s Number (CLID) Yes Yes Routing by Dialled Number (DNIS) Yes Yes Routing by Meridian Mail Menu Yes Yes 166 Symposium Express Call Centre
Routing by M Mail Access Link No Yes (CCS 200) Routing by Host Data Exchange No Yes (CCS 200) Meridian Link Services Yes Yes Idle Agent Queuing: Selection of highest Preset: Configurable: Longest idle time priority idle agent to receive call Longest idle since last since last status change, or last status change call serviced, or most cumulative idle time this login Call Queuing/Treatment System Wide Decision Tree Individual Script Instructions, or Decision Mechanism via Host Data Exchange Call Treatment Classes 32 per system/one applied per call N/A Customisable in script Conditions/Intrinsics Assessed Per Call Treatment Class /6 conditions Per Script / Combinations Time/Day/Date/Holiday Open or Closed Treatment Customisable Call Volume in System - Threshold Unable to Handle Call Treatment Customisable Call Volume by Call Type - Threshold Unable to Handle Call Treatment Customisable Calls Waiting, or Age of Call - Threshold 1st Overflow Treatment Customisable Calls Waiting, or Age of Call - Threshold 2nd Overflow Treatment Customisable Call Waiting Timers (separate) Wait Announcement Treatment Customisable Skill set/agent Intrinsics (13) No Customisable Traffic Volume - Call Rate No Customisable Utilises Mathematical Calculations No Customisable Emergency State System Wide Treatment Customisable/System Wide Announcements Emergency Announcement 1 per System Customisable Unable to Handle Call Announcement 1 per Call Treatment Customisable Greeting Announcement 1 per Call Treatment Customisable Wait Announcements 2 separate per Call Treatment Customisable Pos in Queue/Expected Wait Time As 1st Wait Announcement Customisable Closed Announcement 1 per Call Treatment Customisable Voice Processing Give IVR Yes Yes Play Prompt/Collect Digits No Yes (CCS200) Give Controlled Broadcast No Yes (CCS200) Host Enhanced Voice Processing No Yes (CCS200) Customisable Scripts No Yes Management Reporting Standard Reports -- Customisable 70+ - Yes 70+ - Yes Call-by-Call Reporting No Yes RT Displays, Customisable - Personal 3 No - No 6 Yes - Yes ODBC/SQL Compatible Yes Yes Call by Call Reporting No Yes Ordering Information For further information, please contact your local Nortel Networks Representative. Symposium Express Call Centre 167
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Symposium Meridian LINK Services Overview Symposium Link is a two-way communications link that provides an interface between a host application and Symposium - referred to generally as Computer Telephony Integration or CTI. This link facilitates the functional integration of computer and Meridian 1 / Succession CSE 1000 environments. Symposium Meridian LINK Services empowers businesses and third party software providers to create service-enhancing applications by making Meridian 1 / Succession CSE 1000 call control, call events and call centre agent information available to external computer applications. Customer Profile Call centres that desire to become advanced customer contact centres can take advantage of Symposium Meridian LINK Services to exchange information gained on the Meridian 1 CSK1K switch with application software that resides on a host or PC platform IVR users may also use LINK to tightly integrate the IVR platform with call control in the call centre or as a standalone application. Defining Needs Do you require a powerful, reliable intelligent call answering capability using third party CTI host applications such as CT-Connect? Are you planning to tightly integrate your IVR platform and call centre tools to provide superior customer service? Are you planning to use powerful third-party outbound applications that need tight control and monitoring capabilities of the PBX? Do you require voice processing capabilities for host applications to play messages and collect information from a caller? Typical Applications In an inbound telemarketing environment, Symposium Link can provide an application with Calling Line ID (CLID) and Dialled Number Identification Service (DNIS) information on an incoming call. The application can use this information to retrieve data from a database and present it on the agent s data terminal before the call is answered. In an outbound telemarketing environment a host application can retrieve information on a potential customer from a database and display it on an agent s screen. At the same time the application can place the call on behalf of the agent via Symposium Link. Both application examples demonstrate how agent productivity can be improved while providing personalised service. The host computer and Symposium cooperate to provide enhanced and effective applications to the end user community. Key Points Calls answered employing LINK Services can be answered in an intelligent manner Call centres that desire to become advanced Customer Contact Centres can take advantage of Symposium Meridian LINK Services to exchange information gained on the Meridian 1 / Succession CSE 1000 switch with application software that resides on a host or PC platform IVR platforms may also use Symposium Meridian LINK Services to tightly integrate call control in the call centre or as a standalone application Symposium Meridian LINK Services dramatically increase the power and effectiveness of call centre solutions and third party applications Symposium Meridian LINK Services 169
Features and Benefits Symposium Meridian LINK Services is based on Symposium Call Centre Server Release 4.0. It is an intelligent signalling link offering host application access to Meridian 1 call processing functions. It is an important element of the Meridian 1 solution as it provides a Computer Telephony Interface (CTI) to powerful, service enhancing third party applications. Examples may include IBM CallPath and Genesys CTI applications. (Nortel Networks also offer a fully integrated, pre-packaged CT middleware solution - Symposium TAPI Service Provider.) Symposium Meridian LINK Services is available as a no charge feature when purchasing Symposium Call Centre Server or Symposium Express Call Centre with a minimum agent quantity (dependent on region). It can run as a software-only product running on a standard Microsoft Windows NT/2000 Server Information such as the calling party s telephone number (CLID) and the number the caller dialled (DNIS) are passed via LINK to the external computer or IVR TAPI Enabler: LINK enables TAPI Service Provider to deliver comprehensive support of Symposium Link call processing features as well as Call Centre agent functions LINK integrates Meridian 1 telephony with Meridian Mail voice processing capabilities for host applications to play messages and collect information from a caller Host Enhanced Routing (HER), allows a host application to route an incoming call before a call is terminated at a resource, or provide a call treatment (music, ringback or silence), before routing the call. A resource can be a Control DN (CDN). The minimum CCS 200 agent increment package is required for HER Agent ID in Agent Login Message Dialled Number Identification Service (DNIS) Digit Expansion to 31 digits Based on Symposium Call Centre Server Release 4.x Call Control functionality is equivalent to Meridian Link 5C Capacity of 16,000 calls per hour Host Enhanced Voice Processing (HEVP) functionality is no longer supported Ordering Information For further information, please contact your local Nortel Networks Representative. 170 Symposium Meridian LINK Services
Symposium TAPI Service Provider TAPI Application eg Symposium Agent Microsoft s TAPI Symposium TAPI Service Provider Overview Connection to M1 (via Symposium Link or Direct Connect Option) In Symposium TAPI (Telephony Applications Programming Interface) Service Provider, Nortel Networks has created a reliable, open solution that makes it extremely cost-effective and easy to combine telephone and computer applications on the desktop. The Symposium TAPI Service Provider for Meridian 1 / Succession CSE 1000 is a multifunctional Microsoft TAPI 2.x and 3.0 compliant service provider that marries Microsoft TAPI 3.0 Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) to the Meridian 1 / Succession CSE 1000. More simply, as its name suggests, Symposium TAPI Service Provider is based on Microsoft s Telephony Application Programming Interface (TAPI). This is widely accepted as the industry standard interface for current and future applications that bring together the computer and the telephone Computer Telephony Integration (CTI). Nortel Networks Symposium TAPI Service Provider acts as the glue that enables a business to bring together disparate systems and multiple customer touch points, such as phone, email and the Web. Customer Profile Meridian 1 / Succession CSE 1000 / Meridian 1 ACD / Symposium Call Centre Server / Symposium Express Call Centre customers requiring CTI functionality to automate and simplify knowledge worker and call centre staff tasks. Defining Needs Do you need to integrate telephony events with your business applications? Do you need to automate routine tasks and empower agents with critical customer information, from, say, a CRM database? Do you want to provide fast, efficient and intelligent service to your customers? Do you want screen pops in your call centre? Do you want to dial numbers from a Microsoft or other application? Do you need to unify your call centre and your web portal together with multimedia agents? Are you planning to build a seamless multimedia customer contact centre? Typical Applications Symposium TAPI Server Provider greatly improves the cost and ease of implementing CTI and multimedia solutions to the agent s desktop allowing the automation of common knowledge worker tasks such as network co-ordinated screen pops and agent desktop telephony control. Symposium TAPI Server offers application-based call routing and powerful open interfaces to IVR systems that facilitate voice processing integration. With Nortel Networks TAPI Service Provider in place, businesses can draw on any Microsoft TAPI-based application on the market. For example, administration users could be given access to Windows applications such as Microsoft Outlook dialling, while call centre agents may be given desktop telephony tools to answer, make and transfer calls. Symposium TAPI Service Provider is a prerequisite for Symposium Agent, Nortel Networks CTI solution for agents desktops. Key Points Comprehensive support of Meridian Link call processing features Support for Call Centre agent functions Symposium TAPI Service Provider 171
such as login, ready/not-ready, and agent DN control Support for Fast Transfer for predictive dialling applications Applications-based routing to allow TAPI applications to route calls based on network information such as CLID, DNIS Advanced integration with IVR systems Supports multi node call data transfers (allows multiple TAPI SP enabled call centres to share the call data generated during the caller's session so that screen pop travels with the call and call specific data is retained) Compatible with Microsoft TAPI 2,x and 3.0 on Windows 2000, and Microsoft TAPI 2.x on Windows NT 4.0 Integrates user provided data from IVR or Meridian Mail with desktop enabled TAPI applications such as Symposium Agent Monitor and control call centre agent set features Easy administrative GUI Dynamic TAPI database associates agent desktop and phone set at login Supports any TAPI compatible application such as Microsoft Dialler and Outlook dialling Integration of Meridian 1 / Succession CSE 1000 telephony capability with Windows based business applications Enables business application automation based on carrier call data and / or user provided call data from IVR Compatible with the range of Nortel Networks Meridian telephone sets including call centre agent sets, IP sets and IP soft phones Features and Benefits Microsoft TAPI is a telephony API provided with the Windows operating system that is recognised as one of the leading industry standards for current and future Computer Telephony Integration (CTI) applications. Microsoft TAPI enables and greatly enhances the way personal computers and phones interact in a way previously only possible through proprietary API's from different switch vendors. In order to interface with Microsoft TAPI, each switch vendor must develop a TAPI Service Provider (SP) that translates the switch commands into a standard, TAPI compatible format. This allows customers and developers to focus on the desktop applications and not the "plumbing." Together, Microsoft TAPI and Nortel Networks Symposium TAPI Service Provider allow the telephony capabilities of the Meridian 1 / Succession CSE 1000 to be easily and very cost effectively integrated with Windows-based business applications, such as Symposium Agent. Using 3rd party call control, applications running on Windows NT 4.0 servers (with connections to Windows 95/98/NT workstation clients via the LAN) can monitor and control Meridian 1 / Succession CSE 1000 telephones. Nortel Symposium TAPI Server can be implemented via Symposium Meridian Link Services/Symposium Call Centre Server, or can be Direct-Connected to the Meridian 1 / Succession CSE 1000 ELAN. Nortel Networks supported products using TAPI Service Provider 2.3.1 are :- Symposium Agent 2.3, and the Symposium Communications Driver for Siebel 7 that will be available from January 2003. TAPI Service Provider 2.3.1 is compliant with SAPphone R/3 from SAP. By providing connectivity to the worlds leading CRM suppliers (including Siebel and SAP) Nortel Networks are helping to reduce the cost of providing knowledgeable customer care. The use of Microsoft-based standards provides agents with the familiar graphical user interface with which they feel immediately comfortable; while for the business, rapid deployment and easy, centralised administration from a web-browser ensures lower cost of ownership in the years ahead. Tasks such as accepting incoming calls or making outbound calls can be made easier and more productive with simple TAPI enabled CTI applications such as basic screen pops and simple dialling tools. Ordering Information For further information, please contact your local Nortel Networks Representative. 172 Symposium TAPI Service Provider
Symposium Web Client Overview Symposium Call Centre Web Client 4.0 is a new browser-based thin client for administrators and supervisors using Symposium Call Centre Server Release 4.0 onwards. The Symposium Call Centre Web Client 4.0 introduces superior management tools that better equip contact centre managers to make improved business decisions and respond faster to customer needs, thereby improving productivity and strengthening customer relationships. It also enables contact centre managers to increase the overall effectiveness of their contact centre by providing richer real-time information that can be used to address peak loads and reduce wait times. Customer Profile All new and existing Symposium Call Centre Server customers Medium to large contact centres where many clients are required Contact centres requiring agent desktop-based real-time displays Defining Needs Are you aware that thin clients can cut desktop computing costs by as much as 75 percent? (According to an article published by Network Magazine - Decreasing TCO with Thin Clients 4/00) Do you have many client PCs that require upgrades frequently, consuming hours of installation time per client? Do you need to be able to make improved business decisions and respond quickly to current contact centre conditions by leveraging superior management tools? Do you want to address peak loads and reduce wait times in the call centre with richer real-time information and reports? Would it be desirable for contact centre managers and supervisors to be able to access and view Web Client data from anywhere within their company network by simply using an Internet Explorer browser to connect to the server? Do your agents have access to Agent Desktop Displays, so that they are able to view their performance statistics and see how they are contributing to the effectiveness of the contact centre? Do you want increased flexibility in your call centre to enable contact centre managers, supervisors, agents and administrators to be more efficient and effective, resulting in higher productivity levels? Typical Applications All new Symposium Call Centre Server customers should be encouraged to purchase the Symposium Call Centre Web Client option not only can they take advantage of the benefits that a thin client can offer to businesses, but they also will be able to leverage the new enhancements and tools that it delivers. Symposium Call Centre Web Client should be positioned as a key part of our product evolution strategy. No additional enhancements or features will be developed on the existing Symposium desktop client. For installed base customers, the Symposium Call Centre Web Client is perfect for medium to large contact centres where managers are searching for ways to minimise their total cost of ownership and optimise efficiency. Larger contact centres with more clients benefit the most and will see a greater impact in regards to a reduced Total Cost of Ownership (TCO). However, the Symposium Call Centre Web Client is also appropriate for smaller contact centres that want to take advantage of the new functionality, or customers that require the latest advancement in technology. Symposium Web Client 173
The Symposium Call Centre Web Client is also an excellent solution for existing customers that have experienced co-residency problems with desktop software applications. Since the software now resides on the application server instead of the client PC, Symposium Call Centre Web Client should completely eliminate co-residency issues. Key Points Save significant time and expense, reduce Total Cost of Ownership Eliminate the need to install, patch and upgrade clients individually with a centralised application server Expedite Symposium data filling with bulk data loading Increase the overall effectiveness of the contact centre Make improved business decisions and respond quickly to current call centre conditions with superior management tools Address peak loads and reduce wait times with richer real-time information and re-designed reports Improve productivity and respond faster to customer needs Take advantage of the latest version of the software without waiting for upgrades to be installed on each computer Access client data from anywhere in the network using an IE browser Deliver performance statistics to agents with the new Agent Desktop Display Take advantage of system enhancements Greater agent capacity and client sessions Increased security via firewalls Client software isolated from other desktop applications Enhanced filtering for better support of service bureaus/multi-tenant call centres Features and Benefits The Symposium Call Centre Web Client greatly improves the administration and configuration of clients on Symposium Call Centre Server. By centralising the software on an application server, the need to install, patch and upgrade clients individually has been eliminated. As a result, the amount of time and expense that is typically involved with client installation and upgrades is significantly reduced. Most sites would therefore benefit from Symposium Web Client. With existing Symposium client requiring approximately one hour of installation on each individual client PC, assuming that there are no software conflicts or issues, in an average contact centre with 50 client PCs the installation would take at least 50 hours to complete. However, with the Symposium Call Centre Web Client only three hours are required for installation. With the Web Client, the software is centrally located on a single application server, eliminating the need to install software on every client PC and saving hours of costly labour. Offered as an optional alternative to the existing Symposium Call Centre Server client, Symposium Call Centre Web Client 4.0 uses Internet Explorer 5.5 and delivers significant enhancements and new features as follows: Improved User Interface real-time displays, reporting, configuration and user management screens have been re-designed to further enhance usability and data presentation Centralised Management client software is moved to a dedicated application server and accessed through an Internet Explorer browser for centralised installation, configuration and administration New Agent Desktop Displays miniature real-time displays deliver performance statistics to agents Historical Reporting centralised reporting enables sharing of public reports and email notifications on the completion of scheduled reports Nodal and Network Consolidated Real-Time Displays displays allow for grouping and subtotals of call statistics and filtering of information. New network consolidated displays show call information from multiple locations 174 Symposium Web Client
Increased Security web clients now can be separated from the application server and Symposium Call Centre server by a firewall Improved User Management - drag and drop agent re-assignments have been added to save time and simplify supervisor assignments Enhanced Service Bureau Support real-time and historical reports can be partitioned for a service bureau environment (please note that administrative functions are not partitioned, but they are restricted by access classes) Historical Reporting centralised reporting enables sharing of public reports and email notifications on the completion of scheduled reports Increased Number of Client Sessions With Web Client you can have more than 100 clients monitoring and managing the contact centre. The number of client sessions is based on the sizing of the Web Client application server Ordering Information For further information, please contact your local Nortel Networks Representative. Symposium Web Client 175